


to mend, to trust

by YsaX64



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YsaX64/pseuds/YsaX64
Summary: Hubert blinks slowly, barely reacting to the news as if he knew all along. His green eyes clearer than the finest jade from Morfis, his lips twitching with a movement that she couldn't help but define as frigid."My lady," he whispers, low and secretive, but his voice feels like an icicle through her heart. "There are ways of dealing with this… problem."Edelgard and Hubert have endured all sorts of hardship together, but this one might prove to be the most challenging of all.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 7
Kudos: 79
Collections: FE3H Kink Meme





	to mend, to trust

**Author's Note:**

> And one more for the kinkmeme! 
> 
> CW: mentions of abortion
> 
> Prompt:
> 
> "Edelgard and Hubert fall into a secret relationship early in academy phase or shortly before, and with the years' worth of built-up pining and UST between them coming to a head it gets heated quickly. They know to be careful about it, ofc, but aren't quite careful enough (or are just very unlucky)...
> 
> Cue hella angst/guilt/worry since "attending fantasy catholic school and on the cusp of starting a war against the massive organization that runs said school while stuck working with creepy inhuman mages who want to take advantage of you as a living weapon" is, uh, not exactly ideal circumstances to be bringing a kid into to say the least :V
> 
> Not to mention the trust issues and family-related traumas they both have, and the potential complications of Edelgard's dual crests and resulting health issues, and the risk of political scandal, and the risk of the slitherers wanting to use a potentially Flames-bearing kid for further terrible experimentation, etc etc...
> 
> can be sfw or nsfw, any Byleth house placement, any background ships if needed, whatever your heart tells you, just give me that sweet sweet melodrama and canon flying off the rails and I'll be happy lol
> 
> \+ Manuela is the first person to find out given her job at the infirmary, and she steps up to the plate big time to be the dependable medical professional and supportive adult a situation like this needs (with how long she's been working at GM and even with the other opera performers before that, surely she's been in this role before, right?)  
> \+ world's most awkward heart-to-heart between [Seteth|Jeralt|Alois|some combination thereof] and Hubert to bequeath Dad Wisdom™ bc he's sure gonna need it!!  
> \+ if it still ultimately ends more-or-less happily somehow, bc in the end I am still a huge sap whoops"
> 
> https://3houseskinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/476.html?thread=1268188#cmt1268188

_ Hubert blinks slowly, barely reacting to the news as if he knew all along. His green eyes clearer than the finest jade from Morfis, his lips twitching with a movement that she couldn't help but define as frigid. _

_ "My lady," he whispers, low and secretive, but his voice feels like an icicle through her heart. "There are ways of dealing with this… problem." _

The same scene played in her head over and over, with slight variations. Often, she had imagined him kneeling beside her, eyeing her belly with the same appraising look he would give the sharpened edge of his knife. A few times, Hubert reacted taken aback, perhaps even with a certain disgust, before making the same suggestion.

Once, in a flick of insecurity that she didn't even want to remember, Hubert had spared her only a sinister smirk, squinting his eyes with amusement.

Edelgard groaned, frustration leaking into the dark of the night, muffled only by the constant thundering outside. The worst part was that the Hubert of her imagination made sense. She had even seen in it Manuela's eyes, all of her age showing as if she'd already seen that same tale with other students before Edelgard. It made sense. There was no reason for her to be so attached–

One, two, three quick knocks rapped on her door. Her brain stalled, her violet eyes snapping to the direction of the sound. It took her a moment to notice that her hands were clamped to her thighs, knuckles white with tension.

"My lady?"

His voice is barely audible through the thunder roaring outside, but it still rang loud and clear inside her head. Edelgard grunted, getting up one fluid motion. Pointless. Useless hesitation, probably caused by her nerves. 

She had invited him, after all.

_ It had been only a few months since they got to Garreg Mach, but it was like they couldn't control themselves anymore. The eyes in Garreg Mach were many, but it was nothing compared to the life back at the Imperial Palace. The fact that they were granted quarters beside each other and didn't have guards watching them like hawks at all instants was almost freeing.  _

_ Especially the night after a battle, high on the energy of the battlefield, wounds and aches and tension, begging for release. Between bruises and cuts, they were doomed from the start. _

_ Their hands were fervent, restless in their pursuit for more skin, for more flesh, for more of everything, greedy, greedy always. _

_ "We shouldn't," he murmured, but his husky, tremulous voice betrayed his true desires. She kissed him hard in response. _

Edelgard pushed back the uninvited memory, her gait straight and terse as her hand turned the handle, the door opening just enough for Hubert to slide in. His entrance is quiet and rushed, but he isn't as inconspicuous as she knew he could be.

It was part of the theater, the secrets of war and snakes they shared. A man of reputation such as his entering her room soundless, often enough to be noticeable but also carefully enough to not leave traces behind, that could be considered suspicious. A lovesick servant rushing inside the room of his benevolent, but uncaring mistress, however, the Knights wouldn't bat an eye. 

Edelgard bit her bottom lip hard, until the vague taste of iron flooded her senses. She closed the door, making just enough sound to echo even as the rain continued relentlessly.

"Sit down," Edelgard muttered, her eyes focused on the edges and splints of the door, her hand frozen at the handle. She heard his sharp intake of breath, can imagine the raise of his shoulders and the subsequent exhale as he, perceptive as he is, knew better than to ask. One, two, three slow measured steps, light like a cat's. The muffled sound of the mattress shifted to accommodate his weight. 

She blinked slowly, mustering her resolve. 

"I have something to tell you." Stalling. She knew it was stalling yet she was doing it all the same. A grunt escaped her lips, frustration overflowing, spilling out of her constricted throat. Was this one of the changes her new  _ situation  _ brought? Irritability? Bah! How was she supposed to tell, if her world had been turned upside-down?

"My lady," he murmured, steady voice pulling her back from the sea of her thoughts. His tone betrayed just the tiniest hint of worry, which Edelgard knew all too well to be just the tip of the gargantuan protectiveness that laid underneath.

Ironically, the flick of concern was more than welcome. One, two, three deep breaths. When her mind came back to reality, Edelgard finally noticed that her knuckles were white, gripping the doorknob too hard, just a step removed from ripping it off the door entirely. One, two, three deep breaths. She pulled back her hand, taking a step back, feeling Hubert's eyes carving a hole on her back, still not daring to look back at him.

Instead, she turned on her heels, walking directly to the closed window. The droplets of water ran in rivulets down the glass, followed by new raindrops that continued down the same little roads. The clouds were low and grey, almost too close to the ground in their oppressiveness. With only the light of the candles, it would have been almost impossible to see the outside, but the occasional lightning was more than enough to illuminate all of the room and spare a view of the haunting monastery, the low torches of guards and knights, the mountain range surrounding the place as natural defenses.

She heard Hubert tap his feet, a rare show of impatience – or perhaps nervousness. The banal gesture almost brought a smile to her lips.

Her mind was blank, however. Throughout the day, she had rehearsed a handful of ways of telling him. Deadpan, quiet, subtle, direct, docile. All of them were washed over by the rain, gone as soon as he stepped inside the room. 

"Hubert," she murmured, his name bitter on her lips. With a sigh, Edelgard could only say, "Come here."

Indecisiveness! What was she going to do next? Tell him to sit, come, lay down? Do a spin for a treat? Annoyance, aimed mostly at herself, flared inside her heart, her muscles tensing. 

Still, if Hubert was bothered by it, he didn't let it show, walking towards her with his characteristic, uncannily silent gait. Edelgard could practically feel him hovering behind her back, the window's foggy reflection sparing her a glimpse of his pursed lips, wavy dark hair hiding one eye. He was still in full uniform, unlike her, who had taken off her coat and cloak. 

"Closer."

The whisper slipped out of her mouth before she could control it.

_ He took off his trousers in a rush, and, for the first time that night, he wore an odd sheepish look, eyes averted and cheeks flushed as he was keen to hide his manhood between her legs, out of her sight. He also had been jumpy the whole night, shying away from her touch when her fingertips lingered on a fresh bruise, despite clearly making a point in kissing her scars, her marks, all of her. _

_ His absurd shame, however, was only beaten by his unending concern for her well-being. _

_ "May I?" The usual even tone of his voice faltered as the tip of his erection brushed her folds, warm flesh sending sizzles all the way down to her toes in sheer anticipation. _

_ "Yes." _

He pulled her out of her thoughts, sliding his arms under hers, embraced her tight, his chest solid against her back. Perhaps, preceding one of their trysts, he would have started out by kissing the column of her neck until she was writhing in his arms. 

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Careless, careless both of them. A half-bitten sigh left her mouth. All of this dancing around the topic wouldn't do, not when Hubert was as stiff as a board, his chest barely moving with breath.

She took each one of his hands in hers and placed them on her lower stomach, holding her breath. He flinched, tensing behind her, but his lack of response indicated that it wasn't as direct an approach as she had thought. Her jaw clenched, she had to make a conscious effort to do as much as form words.

"Hubert. I said that I had to tell you something important, crucial, but my words fail me." It all came out in a single breath, words garbled, tumbling out of her mouth. She brushed a thumb on his knuckles, pressing his hands against her belly. "Hopefully this is clear enough."

Only then she heard his sharp intake of breath, almost could feel his own realization hitting the back of his head. In fact, close as she was, it was possible to feel all the tension in his muscles, the loud pound of his heart uneven and rapid.

"My lady."

The title hurt more than it should have.

"Yes, it is as you think it is, if the exams are to be trusted. I'm late too and the timeframe matches perfectly," she murmured back, hoping that not too much bitterness slipped through her tone.

"Am I the…"

The unfinished question almost made her laugh, but all Edelgard managed was a dry scoff.

"Who else would it be?"

"Ah."

A rather insipid reaction. Edelgard bit her bottom lip. His body was still behind her, the tension growing heavy, too heavy to bear, almost as stifling as the low grey clouds outside. A lightning bolt illuminated the room, painting it all white for a second. The silence persisted until the thunder followed, reverberating and making the walls tremble with fear.

Time stopped until then and the thunder's roar woke her from her stupor. Edelgard cleared her throat, disentangling herself from his arms and walking away, not with any purpose but merely pacing.

"According to my calculations, I should not show until after the end of the school year." That was, if Manuela's assumptions with white magic and Edelgard's own predictions were right – and each had their share of imprecisions, much to the princess's dismay. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes darting back to Hubert only to face his back as he seemed to still be looking out the window. When he didn't say anything, she continued, "So, if I am to battle, I should still be able to lead us if I'm careful enough."

Edelgard tried not to think about the other possibility. However, the thought seemed to have reached Hubert as well as he, with a tight roll of his broad shoulders, straightened his back and finally gave her a response.

"Yes. Of course," he drawled, as if the words didn't quite make sense in his head. "Apologies for my loss of composure. It was just quite a surprise, to say the least."

He cleared his throat, a half-choked sound as his head tilted down, but he was still facing the window, so it was impossible to see his expression. Edelgard wasn't sure if she wanted to see his expression either. Still, as she paced around, something else was easy to see. The slight raise of shoulders, the inhale, the hitched breath, the subsequent too deep exhale. 

"What do you want to say?" she snapped, her voice too sharp, but, as she paced from side to side in the small room, Edelgard couldn't help herself. Not right there, not with so much at stake.

Hubert seemed to sense her unease as well, probably sharing it, shifting on his weight, crossing his long arms as he stared into the storm, another lighting bolt clearing the room for just a second.

"Do you plan on keeping it?"

And the thunder followed, its roar ripping through the night, its tremors shaking her heart to the very core.

"Should I keep it?" Edelgard tested the waters, the words far too bitter in her mouth. A lump formed in her throat, her pacing stopped, her eyes focused on a point between his shoulder blades.

"That is not my decision to make, Lady Edelgard."

If he had tried to not let the bitterness seep into his words, he had failed miserably, the last words trembling on his tongue. The thought made her let out a dry scoff, half-laughed out of spite.

"Aren't you to be my advisor, Hubert? My most stalwart and frank servant?"

"Do you wish for me to be the advisor right now?"

This time, she wasn't even sure he'd attempted to hold back his venom, the words sharp like a snake's fangs. Edelgard furrowed her eyebrows, temper flaring. 

"What would you say if I said 'yes', Hubert?" 

This time, he was the one turning on his heels, running his fingers through his hair over and over until the usual bangs that covered his right eye were pulled back, tousled and messy. His eyes were a regal green, sharp like jewels. She wouldn't mind if their child inherited his eyes. The thought came in uninvited, alongside an image of a newborn blinking, bright green eyes shining innocence. She purged the thought as quickly as it came, her face twisted in a grimace. Attached. So attached already.

_ When they are fully spent, a pleasant dull ache between her legs, Edelgard found herself staring back into his eyes. Each of them had speckles of lighter shades of green, colours that she had yet to define, but still couldn't help but try.  _

_ Hubert was propped up on one elbow, post-coital bliss showing as he shamelessly stared back at her, only pausing to caress her cheeks, to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. _

_ "Go to sleep," he whispered. And she obeyed, easy, without a thought. His body enveloped her easily, his hand cupping one of her breasts in an almost chaste gesture, merely the soft feel and the weight.  _

_ When she woke up, the sun was already up, Garreg Mach was full of life and her bed was strangely cold. _

Hubert cleared his throat, averted his eyes to the ground, shifted on his weight.

"I fear I must admit that, despite the pragmatic mindset that I value so highly, I wouldn't be able to disentangle my own personal feelings from what must be asked," he said, voice low, as if he feared she would judge his weakness. Hah. If nothing else, it just made more painfully obvious what she should do, given the circumstances. Perhaps it was even merciful, to not bring a child to such an irrational world, to not pass on the misery of her condition. 

She gulped hard, her knees threatening to buckle under the weight of her own thoughts, but Edelgard managed to keep her gait straight until she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her hand rested instinctively on her lower belly, a gesture so irrational that made her sneer at herself. A baby so small, it wasn't even big enough to fill her palm, she was most likely caressing her own lunch. Still, the act was both soothing and unnerving, the feelings merging with each other in a stew of bottomless conflict, the temperature rising to a peak of senseless irritation.

A conflict that made her unable to push forward or to pull back, the most disgraceful position to be in: still.

"My lady."

His voice was barely enough to shake her from her thoughts. One, two, three steps and his legs appear on her field of vision. Edelgard did not look up, despite all her instincts telling her to do so. Her blood boiled inside her veins, threatening to spill in a fit of rage. Despite that, all she did was stay still. At least, Hubert knew her all too well.

"If I were like my father." His words were stilted, his breath hitched for a mere fraction of a second. "Perhaps I would say it out loud. But we both know what I speak of and there is no need to maintain this topic any longer."

His gloved hand then rested on her cheek and, despite all, Edelgard found herself exhaling in relief, the anger vanishing as quickly as it came. No, she didn't wish for it. Too much attachment to a little creature of her blood and flesh. His blood and flesh too, a factor that surely helped. His thumb caressed along her cheekbone, soothing grounding caress. It lasted little, however, as he pulled back, posture straight once again.

"What I can say, however, is that we may need to plan for the future considering our new variable." 

Yes. Of course. Her posture straight again, steely heart sharp as a sword. Bracing herself, she tilted her chin up, staring back at Hubert's eyes. During the moment in which he seemed to be mustering the courage to speak up, Edelgard couldn't help but notice how the skin beneath his eyes was darker than usual.

"I don't think there is anything that I may say to you that will take you off the battlefield. At least for now. Nevertheless, I hope you will find it understandable if I end up more." A pause. His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped hard, as if fighting an irresistible urge. Finally, after a few moments, he found the word, "Protective."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow.

"As long as you didn't risk your own life in the process, I have never once minded your protectiveness, Hubert. Much less now." Still, as his words rang inside her mind, another thought formed. "Nevertheless, I have a guess that this isn't all you want to say."

His lips twitched. It looks like she hit her mark.

"Given our circumstances, if everything stays the same, it is obvious that this affair of ours will be revealed."

_ It was supposed to have been the only time. _ __

_ Once, because of their teenage mindset, finding the slightest bit of freedom and turning it into their own strange rebellion. Once, because of the sword hanging over their heads, every battle could mean death and so they acted accordingly: like two wild animals, ready to mate one last time before death knocked on their door. Once, because time was short and the end of the year was coming quickly, when days in the sun would end abruptly giving space to skies of blood. _

_ Even still, it only took two weeks before they found themselves pawing at each other again.  _

_ Edelgard wished she had an excuse, but it was simpler than that. She caught him staring at her during training and the image of his green eyes hazy with lust wouldn't leave her. The next thing they knew, once not even Jeritza remained in the training grounds, they were kissing madly, his erection rubbing hard against her through all the clothes until they both came shuddering. _

_ After that, the pretense of propriety was all but gone. _

"Your point being?" 

"My lady," he drawled, clearly struggling with words. "Considering your future position, it might be adequate to find yourself a suitable consort, one that could easily pass as the father of your child."

Another flash of lightning, clearing the room. Time slowed down and every second passed like she was crawling on broken glass. Her mouth agape, not even Hubert could stare back at her, his eyes averted to the window as the thunder reverberated, the steady pattering of the rain almost deafening.

"To go back to Enbarr with a new consort would uncommon, but not unprecedented. Given the plethora of lower nobles and ambitious commoners here in Garreg Mach, it shouldn't be hard to find some that are suitable – to your liking – and that also bear some similarity to me."

Her throat was raw and whatever was left of her shock bled out, giving place to the steely nothingness. Of course. Once again, the real Hubert might not have been as frigid as the Hubert of her imagination, but he was just as practical. 

"I take that you might be thinking of some names?" Her voice rang hollow even to her own ears and she was certain that Hubert noticed the shift of tone, if only for the way he crossed his arms and his hand clutched his forearm. Regardless, he nodded readily, which prompted her to continue, "So, are we to subject ourselves to the whims of a third party? A man who might be willing to bribe us later down the road?"

Hubert sneered, but didn't answer. Very well then. An opening. Her heart flared, she got up in one swift movement, quick enough so that he had to take a step back. She pressed, voice firm and unyielding, never betraying the fast tempo of her heart.

"We both know that such a thing can only end in disaster."

"Our options are scarce–"

"No need to make them scarcer by taking yourself out of the equation then."

This time, his eyes snapped back at hers, frigid jewels, a cat's eyes, gleaming with some unknown emotion. But it was raw, raw and pulsing. Edelgard sustained his gaze, knowing better than to pull back.

"Our positions, our goals and especially my reputation." The disdain and loathing in his voice were palpable, but a part of her – a very sentimental part, she had to remind herself – knew that it wasn't directed towards her. "Stand between us. The blood that stains my hands should never tarnish you, my lady."

Flashes of flushed cheeks and naked bodies, of low laughs and hushed words, all at once sparked inside her mind. And the flame caught, hungry and untamed.

"Well then, you should make yourself scarce as of now. I've heard whispers of our so-called secret relationship that, if I am to say so myself, are not so far from the truth."

A bluff. Despite everything, their families and their situation granted Edelgard and Hubert a considerable leeway as to what would otherwise be easily considered suspicious, to say the least. Still, Hubert couldn't be fully certain of that.

He eyed her with intensity and she could feel him dissecting her every word. For a fraction of a second, her mind faltered, remembering herself how he had many ears to listen for such things. Still, if the way he bit his bottom lip was any indication, Hubert didn't quite manage to catch her on her lie.

Even so, he said nothing. He didn't advance or exactly retreat, but stood his ground and she stood hers.

"My lady." Richly bitter, but the satisfaction of hitting a soft spot didn't ring quite as pleasantly as she expected. "Minor rumors such the ones you heard cannot be helped."

Her muscles quivered with tension, her nostrils flared. 

"My point remains," she hissed, gritting her teeth.

Still, Hubert didn't move a muscle, his eyes staring back at her in timid rebellion. At that point, not even Edelgard was certain if she still wished for his presence. His words made some sense, but–

"Do you truly wish me to leave?"

–But nothing.

"Do you doubt my words?" she hissed in response.

The calmness sustaining his words was but a façade. She could see the tension in the pronounced cords of his neck as he gulped hard, shaking his head.

"I would never dare to do so, my lady. Nevertheless, I would prefer confirmation."

The pitter-patter of the rain was all that remained between them. His body was close, no more than a step away, yet he felt as far as the stars beyond the dark clouds. Her jaw clenched, scrambling to find rage, to find fuel to the fire inside of her, but she found none of it. The flame of rage smothered down to ashes, down to nothing as her hand clutched her abdomen. She exhaled heavily, the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Instead of fighting against it, Edelgard relented. She took one step forward, his body but a breath away. His breath hitched, but he otherwise didn't move, frozen, encased in ice. And her head lolled forward, her forehead hitting his chest with a dull thud. 

For a moment, he stood there, in a paralyzed state that Edelgard could only assume to have been accompanied by a rare sight of his mouth agape, his eyes wide. Oh, what an amusing thought, a stupefied Hubert rendered speechless. His arms shifted, for a moment, she imagined him gently placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her away.

When he lingered too close, his hands hovering near her shoulders, Edelgard shut her eyes, bracing for the inevitable, too tired to fight back. But, instead, she felt his chest rise with a sharp inhale and he embraced her, pulling her close, pressing their bodies together until she had to shift, his hand cradling the back of her neck, her cheek resting on his chest.

His heartbeat was quick, fast-paced, strong – but it was slowing down, steadying. It lulled her to a warm security that Edelgard didn't feel in a long time, in fact, she noticed, with a hint of detachment, that she didn't quite recall the last time she felt it at all. His uniform carried a slight scent of cinnamon and coffee, the soft black wool tickling her cheek. The thundering of the rain had diminished to a pleasant pitter-patter, no more lightning to forcibly illuminate the room, only a few candles casting shadows on the pair. Her arms slithered behind his back, returning his embrace, her hands clutching fistfuls of fabric as if it would help her stay close to him and steady her voice.

"Am I not the one you pledged your life to? The one you promised to a path of crimson flowers? The same path that you promised to walk alongside for as long as I would have you?" Her tone turned bitter, her cheek pressed against him as if she wanted to crawl inside his skin. "Or did you promise this simply to the Flame Emperor?"

"Never," he hissed, as if the mere thought was so offensive to him he couldn't help but spit a response. "My life is yours, from the cradle to the grave."

"Then, Hubert," she answered, her throat suddenly dry, her eyes burning. "Stay, please."

She exhaled, but the weight pressing her chest didn't subside. A lump formed in her throat and the wool right by her cheek just felt a little damper than before. His hand shifted from the back of her neck to her cheek, cupping it tenderly as his gloved thumb caressed along her cheekbone, catching any stray tears that dared to fall.

"I hope you are aware, Edelgard." Oh, but how sweet it felt to hear her name on his tongue, unadorned, bare, stripped to its rawest form. "That I will be so terribly fussy."

She scoffed a laugh, but he didn't hesitate on continuing.

"I cannot even think about letting you out of my sight for two seconds. I am going to do all in my power to force you off the battlefield, no matter how small the conflict. I will check what you are eating, especially the amount of sugar. I will have to read every book on this subject that I can get my hands on, in order to have minimal knowledge about this entire situation… I never even held a child before."

With each passing word, his voice lowered, trembled, wavered. She could hear his heart, settling in a faster tempo, his fingers fidgeting with her skin. In an impulse, she shifted and placed a kiss to his chest, standing on her tiptoes to nuzzle on his neck.

"Stay here then, it is a start," she said, voice hoarse, throat parched. When he didn't answer immediately, Edelgard quickly added, "At least for tonight. I don't think I can sleep by myself and, even if I managed to, I suspect that there are nightmares just around the corner, waiting to piece together new horrors."

He huffed.

"If I could, I would sleep beside you every night."

His arms shifted, sliding around her waist, and he walked towards the bed, pushing her backward until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. After a bit adjusting, they laid down comfortably – one of the few times Edelgard was truly grateful that the house leaders had bigger accommodations – shuffling with limbs and positions, getting rid of clothes.

Hubert did shed his coat, only unbuttoning his trousers and his shirt, but she didn't question it, simply relishing on bare skin. She had half a thought to change her clothes, but Hubert was already putting a blanket over both of them, and, by that point, she just didn't care anymore.

The weight in her chest didn't subside, but it lessened, now carried by two instead of one.

His chest was warm and solid at her back, his feet sliding against hers as his body enveloped her. An arm was draped over her ribs and he shivered as she caressed the fine hairs of his forearm. Deep in her mind, she knew that such tender moments wouldn't last and it filled her with a deep need of savoring the fragile time they shared. 

Edelgard shifted in his embrace, he pulled her closer, burying his long nose in her hair. Yes, it was relaxing. Most definitely. Despite her adamant resolve in not letting the moment slip between her fingers, tiredness was what prevailed.

"Hubert," she mumbled, voice groggy with sleep. "Goodnight."

He hummed against her, his grave timbre soothing to her ears.

"Goodnight."

As slumber took its time, Edelgard timidly resisting for as long as she could, Hubert's hand found its way under her shirt, right below her navel. Her breath hitched, maybe he felt it, but he still didn't hesitate anymore, caressing circles with his thumb, and a vague sense of wonder flooded her veins, one that she was sure he shared.

Yes. It might not have been perfect, but it was enough. They would find a way. For now, it was enough to know that he would be there in the morning and that they would endure it all together.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos/Comments/Feedback are always appreciated!!!


End file.
